Shipping rack feet



Sept. 11, 1962 w. G. cHALLAs, JR., ET AL 3,953,558

SHIPPING RACK FEET Filed May 16, 1960 United States Patent 3,053,558 SPING RACK FEET William G. Challas, Jr., Ypsilanti, and Ernest S. Harris,

Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 16, 1960, Ser. No. 29,315 Claims. (Cl. 287-119) This invention relates to a stacking device for shipping racks or the like.

Economical utilization of storage space requires that industrial shipping and storage racks be provided with stacking means so that such racks may be stored in tiers. Industrial racks and pallets now commonly serve multiple functions such as shipping means and storage means and are transported from place to place on conveyors, skids and industrial trucks. The stacking devices are commonly provided by notches and lugs formed integrally With the racks and pallets or by separate stacking plates placed between adjacent racks or pallets in storage. Although integrally formed stacking devices provide obvious advantages, different modes of handling the racks to which they are attached result in extreme Wear and tear.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide improved stacking means of unusually sturdy and rigid construction. Another object is to provide stacking means for storage racks that permit sturdy storage in tiers. An additional object of this invention is to provide stacking means adapted to permit sliding movement of racks on associated support legs and conveyance on roller conveyors and the like. Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the lfollowing detailed description and the accompanying drawings Where- 1n:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a column of stacked pallets provided with stacking devices of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view, partly in section, showing stacking devices of FIGURE 1 in engaged position;

FIGURE 3 is a top View taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the stacking devices shown in FIGURE 2.

The stacking device of the present invention is particularly well adapted for use with multi-purpose shipping racks or pallets, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 but is also useable with other racks. The illustrative lower rack is provided with a central industrial material supporting plate which is supported by spaced leg portions 12, 14, 16, 1S that extend upwardly and downwardly of the central support section. The illustrative upper rack is identical to the lower rack and has corresponding support legs 12a, 14a, 16a, 18a. In order to enable similar storage racks or pallets to be stacked in tiers for storage purposes, the extremities of the support legs are provided with stacking devices that may be integrally formed 0n the ends of the support legs or, more preferably, formed individually and bolted to the end portions. The variety of uses to which such racks or pallets are subjected requires that the end surfaces of the support legs serve the dual functions of stacking devices and skid devices. The ideal skid is one that provides a continuous ilat surface area for sliding engagement with the rack support surface. On the other hand, the ideal stacking device is one which provides an interlock preventing relative movement in any direction between stacked racks. In order to negotiate roller conveyors or the like upon which the racks are often placed, it is necessary that the bottom of the support legs provide a substantially continuous flat surface So that the roller members will have continuous contact ICC with the bottom of the support legs. with the foregoing requirements, oppositely configured forms 20a, 2Gb of the stacking `devices 20 are alternately secured to each of the end surfaces of the support legs as shown in FIGURE 1. The stacking devices are secured to the leg end portions of the racks in the different positions illustrated so that opposite ends of a particular leg have different stacking device forms and so that adjacent leg ends also have different stacking forms. Referring now to FIGURES 2-4, the stacking devices secured to legs 12 and 12a will be described in detail. Each stacking device comprises a base portion 26 and a continuous embossment 28 in a somewhat S-shaped form having substantially circular end sections 30, 32 inter connected by a diagonal rib section 34 that is tangent to both of the circular end portions. A gap 36 is provided between the circular end portion 32 and the diagonal rib 34 and has a width equal to the width of the rib 2S. A at top surface 38 is provided throughout the length of the embossment and the side surfaces of the embossment are canted to facilitate engagement and disengagement of corresponding stacking devices. Fastening holes 40, 42 are provided centrally of the circular end portions 30, 32 to accommodate bolt members 44, 46 of other suitable fastening means adapted to secure the stacking devices to the end surfaces of the support legs of a storage rack. The inner diameter of the circular end portion 32 is equal to the outer diameter of the circular end portion Sti so that a corresponding circular end portion 32a of the stacking device secured to the leg portion 12a interlockingly accommodates the circular end portion 30 of the stacking device provided on the end of leg portion 12 and the circular end portion 32 acommodates the circular end portion 30a. In the stacked position, the rib section 34 is interlooked in a gap 36a provided on the stacking device secured to leg portion 112 and a rib section 34a is interlocked in the gap 36.

In use, the corresponding stacking devices provide a storage rack interlock that prevents movement in all directions and which, additionally, provides a longitudinally extending flat surface comprising the circular end portions 30, 32 and the connecting rib portion 34. The iiat surface electively provides a skid surface extending substantially fromI one end of the support leg to the other which is adapted to negotiate roller conveyors. It is to be understood that the gap 36 and other portions of the stacking device may be suitably dimensioned to provide suflcient roller engaging or support surface for conveyance of a rack on roller conveyors or other means. It is comprehended that various changes and modications in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts are included Within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A stacking device comprising a support block, fastener means to secure said support block to a shipping rack, one surface of said block being at and adapted to be secured against a support leg of a shipping rack, a circular embossment in the form of a closed loop formed on the opposite surface of said block, a circular embossment in the form of an open loop also formed on the opposite surface of said block, said embossments being interconnected by an embossment rib extending diagonally of said block tangentially to each of said circular embossments, one of said circular embossments having an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the other of said circular embossments to provide for interlocking engagement of reversely positioned similar stacking devices.

2. A stacking device for support legs of a shipping and storage rack and comprising a base portion, an S-shaped embossment extending outwardly of said base portion, the

Patented Sept. 11, 1962 In accordance loops of said embossment being symmetrical, and one of said loops contoured for interlocking engagement with the other of said loops so that one of said stacking devices formed on a support leg of one storage rack can be interlocked with a reversely positioned stacking device formed on a support leg of another storage rack.

3. A stacking device comprising a support block, fastener means to secure said support block to a shipping rack or similar device, one surface of said block being flat and adapted to be secured against a support leg or similar member, the opposite surface of said block having an outwardly extending sinuous embossment, said embossment forming spaced substantially circular portions, one of said circular portions being dimensioned to have an outer periphery substantially dimensionally corresponding to an inner periphery of the other of said circular portions whereby reversely positioned similar stacking devices may be interlockingly engaged.

4. A stacking device comprising a support block, fastener means to secure said support block to a shipping rack or similar device, one surface of said block being flat and adapted to be secured against a support leg or similar member, the opposite side of said block having outwardly extending flange means, said ange means forming spaced similarly configured portions, and one of said 4 portions having a similarly configured central opening dimensioned so that the 4other portion of a reversely positioned similar stacking device may be interlockingly received within said one portion.

5. Apparatus ofthe class described for use with storage racks having support legs and comprising stacking plates associated with each of said legs, each stacking plate comprising a base portion, an embossment extending outwardly from said base portion and having a at support surface formed thereon, said embossment forming spaced dimensionally dissimilar portions having similar configurations, said portions being dimensioned so that embossments of similar reversely positioned stacking plates can be nested with one of said portions within the other of said portions, and fastening means associated with said base portion to secure said stacking device to said support legs.

References Cited in the le of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 794,613 Great Britain May 7, 1958 369,896 France Nov. 29, 1906 167,697 Austria Feb. 10, 1951 

